Guelph man dies in plane crash near Puslinch Lake

PLANE CRASH

David Bebee/The Record

OPP Inspector Scott Lawson talks to media about a plane crash that involved two passengers near Puslinch Lake in the Cambridge area.

PLANE CRASH

Robert Wilson/Record staff

Rescue crews scrambled to reach a small plane that crashed at the southeast corner of Puslinch Lake, east of the Cambridge city limits. Two people were in the plane and at least one was able to walk from the wreckage.

PUSLINCH One man is dead and another injured after a float plane crashed into trees at the edge of Puslinch Lake on Thursday afternoon.

Rescue crews scrambled to reach the small plane that crashed at the southeast corner of the lake, east of the Cambridge city limits.

OPP Insp. Scott Lawson, commander of the Wellington County detachment, said there were two men aboard the aircraft.

Russell Hawkins, 47, of Guelph died at the scene. Another man was taken to Cambridge Memorial Hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. The coroner arrived early Thursday evening.

Cambridge Fire Department Platoon Chief Dave Mawdsley said an air ambulance had been dispatched initially to the scene, but was then called off.

Cambridge firefighters, paramedics and Ontario Provincial Police were alerted by witnesses at 2:28 p.m. They used a driveway at 6620 Concession 1 to access the wreckage.

Witnesses say the float plane had been practising landings and takeoffs when it crashed into the woods near a home.

Transportation Safety Board spokesperson John Cottreau identified the plane as a Cessna 172 float plane, and said the accident occurred while the plane was taking off. Cottreau said the plane struck trees and then a power line.

Ken Elligson, an area resident, was at the Old Marina Restaurant when the crash occurred. The red and white float plane had completed a handful of takeoffs and landings when it landed again and quickly taxied across the lake.

As it took off from the south end of the lake, Elligson said the pilot “had just enough altitude to get over the trees.”

“He seemed to be getting out of the water a little late,” he said.

Another witness, Matt Davey, lives at the end of Eagle Lane.

“It looked like he was trying to take off, but it was just too low,” Davey said. “I heard it hit the top of the trees. I was just at the front of my house. I saw him coming toward me.”

Elligson said it seemed like the pilot was trying to avoid a large house on the shoreline when it banked, “flipped over” and disappeared into the trees. Elligson said the plane went down about 100 metres from the shoreline.

Elligson jumped on his motorcycle and drove to the area, where he ran into others who heard the crash. They waited for emergency workers to arrive.

Mawdsley said five Cambridge fire trucks were scrambled to join paramedics and OPP. The Puslinch Fire Department was expected to take over Thursday evening.

Mawdsley said it was fortunate to have clear directions to the site from witnesses and he noted emergency workers were able to get to the scene quickly. There was no fire, but crews were concerned about fuel on the plane.

The crash cut power to about 150 customers in the area, said Hydro One spokesperson Tiziana Baccega. Hydro crews also de-energized lines in the area to ensure that responding emergency crews would be safe.

Lawson said utility lines on or near the wreckage had posed a hazard.

The joint-use pole damaged in the crash was shared with Bell Canada, Baccega said. Crews from Bell and hydro responded to the scene, and most of the hydro customers had their power restored by about 7:30 p.m.

Police officers were conducting a number of interviews with witnesses Thursday afternoon. Lawson also noted two Transportation Safety Board investigators had arrived to conduct their work.